9809. That he may minister in the priest’s office to Me. That this signifies a representative of the Lord, is evident from the representation of “the priest’s office,” as being in the supreme sense every office which the Lord discharges as the Savior; and whatever He does as the Savior is from Divine love, thus from Divine good, for all good is of love. For this reason also by “the priest’s office” in the supreme sense is signified the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love. There is Divine good, and there is Divine truth; Divine good is in the Lord, and therefore it is His being, which in the Word is called “Jehovah;” but Divine truth is from the Lord, and therefore it is the coming-forth from this being, which in the Word is meant by “God;” and as that which comes forth from Him is also Himself, therefore also the Lord is Divine truth, which is His Divine in the heavens. For the heavens come forth from Him, because the angels who are there are receptions of His Divine; the celestial angels being receptions of the Divine good which is from Him, and the spiritual angels being receptions of the Divine truth which is thence derived. From all this it can be seen what of the Lord was represented by the priestly office, and what of the Lord was represented by the kingly office; namely, by the priestly office the Divine good of His Divine love, and by the kingly office the Divine truth thence derived.

[2] That by the priestly office was represented the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love, thus every office which the Lord discharges as the Savior is evident from the following passages in the Word, in David:

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of strength out of Zion; rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. Thy people is one of readinesses in the day of Thy strength, in the honors of holiness from the womb of the dawn, Thou hast the dew of Thy birth. Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, according to My word, Melchizedek. The Lord at Thy right hand hath smitten kings in the day of His anger; He hath judged among the nations; He hath filled with dead bodies; He hath smitten the head over much land. He shall drink of the stream in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head (Psalms 110:1-7).

From this it is plain what the Lord is as a priest, consequently what the priestly office represented in the Lord, namely, all the work of the salvation of the human race; for in this passage the subject treated of is the Lord’s combats with the hells, while He was in the world, through which He acquired for Himself Divine omnipotence over the hells, by virtue of which He saved the human race, and also saves at this day all those who receive Him. It is this salvation itself, because it is from the Divine good of the Divine love, by virtue of which it is said of the Lord, “Thou art a priest forever, according to My word, Melchizedek.” “Melchizedek” means “the king of righteousness”; and the Lord was so called from the fact that He became righteousness, and thereby salvation (according to what was shown above, n. 9715).

[3] But as each particular expression in the above Psalm contains arcana concerning the Lord’s combats while He was in the world, and these cannot be revealed without the internal sense, therefore they may here be briefly unfolded. “The saying of Jehovah unto My Lord” signifies that it is said of the Lord while He was in the world (that by “the Lord” here is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human is evident in Matthew 22:41-43, in Mark 12:35-36, and in Luke 20:41-44). “Sit thou at My right hand” signifies the omnipotence of Divine good through the Divine truth which the Lord then was, and from which He fought and conquered (that “sitting at the right hand” denotes a state of power, and that when said of the Divine it denotes omnipotence, see n. 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 7673, 8281, 9133; and that all the power of good is through truth, n. 6344, 6423, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643).

[4] “Until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool” signifies until the evils which are in the hells shall be subjugated and made subject to his Divine power. “Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of strength out of Zion” signifies power then from celestial good (that “Zion” denotes this good, see n. 2362, 9055). “Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies” signifies that this good has dominion over evils; evils are meant by “enemies” because they are opposed to the Divine, and specifically to the Lord. “Thy people is one of readinesses in the day of Thy strength” signifies the Divine truths then fighting. “In the honors of holiness” signifies which are from the Divine good. “From the womb of the dawn, Thou hast the dew of Thy birth,” signifies conception from the Divine good itself from which He had Divine truth. “Jehovah hath sworn and will not repent” signifies what is stable and certain.

[5] “Thou art a priest forever” signifies the Divine good of the Divine love in Him. “According to My word, Melchizedek,” signifies that His Divine Human is the like; “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness,” thus that Jehovah became righteous through combats and victories (n. 9715). “The Lord at Thy right hand” signifies the Divine truth which is then from Him, through which He has omnipotence, as above. “Hath smitten kings in the day of His anger” signifies the destruction then of falsities; “the day of anger” was when He fought against evils and destroyed them; “kings” denote truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148). “He hath judged among the nations” signifies the dispersion of evils; for “nations” denote goods, and in the opposite sense evils (n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 6005). “He hath filled with dead bodies” signifies thus spiritual death, which is the total deprivation of truth and good. “He hath smitten the head over much land” signifies the casting down of the infernal love of self into the hells, and its damnation. “He shall drink of the stream in the way, therefore shall He lift up the head,” signifies the endeavor to emerge by means of reasonings about truths. This is the sense of the above words which is perceived in heaven when this Psalm is read by man.

[6] As the priestly office was representative of the Lord in respect to all the work of salvation from Divine love, therefore also all Divine worship belonged to the office of the priest; which worship at that time consisted chiefly in offering burnt-offerings, sacrifices, and meat-offerings, and in arranging the breads of faces upon the table, in lighting the lamps every day, and in burning incense; consequently in making expiation for the people and in remitting sins. Moreover, when the priests were at the same time prophets, it also consisted in unfolding the Divine law, and in teaching. That Aaron with his sons performed all these things is evident from the institution of the priest’s office in Moses. That all these things were representative of the Lord’s works of salvation, is manifest; wherefore also that part of the sacrifices and meat-offerings which was for Jehovah, that is, for the Lord, was given to Aaron; in like manner the firstfruits of various kinds, and also the tithes (see Exodus 29:1-36; Leviticus 7:35-36; 23:15-21; 27:21; Numbers 5:6-10; 18:8-20, and 25 to the end; Deuteronomy 18:1-5), and the firstborn; but instead of all the firstborn of men were the Levites, who were given as a gift to Aaron (Numbers 1:47; 3:9), for the reason that they belonged to Jehovah (Numbers 3:12-13, 40-45).

[7] As the Lord in respect to the whole work of salvation was represented by the high-priest, and the work of salvation itself by his office, which is called the priesthood, therefore no inheritance and portion with the people was given to Aaron and his sons, for it is declared that Jehovah God is their inheritance and portion (Numbers 18:20); neither was any portion given to the Levites, because they belonged to Aaron (Numbers 26:58-63; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1-2). For the people represented heaven and the church, but Aaron with his sons and with the Levites represented the good of love and of faith which makes heaven and the church, thus they represented the Lord from whom is this good. For this reason the land was granted to the people for an inheritance, but not to the priests, for the Lord is in them, but not among them as one of them and distinct from them.

[8] The like is involved in these words from Isaiah:

Ye shall be called the priests of Jehovah, the ministers of our God; ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory ye shall boast yourselves (Isaiah 61:6); where “eating the wealth of the nations” denotes to appropriate goods to themselves; “boasting themselves in their glory” denotes to enjoy truths, thus to have joy and happiness from both. (That “nations” denote goods, see n. 1259, 1260, 4574, 6005; and that “glory” denotes truth from the Divine, n. 9429.)

[9] In the Word throughout “kings” and “priests” are mentioned in a series, also “kings,” “princes,” “priests,” and “prophets;” and in the internal sense by “kings” are there signified truths in the complex; by “princes,” primary truths; by “priests,” goods in the complex; and by “prophets,” doctrines, as in the book of Revelation:

Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

The house of Israel were ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets (Jeremiah 2:26).

In that day the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be amazed, and the prophets shall marvel (Jeremiah 4:9).

At that time they shall draw out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets (Jeremiah 8:1).

(That by “kings” in the sense abstracted from persons are signified truths in the complex, see n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148; that by “princes” are signified primary truths, n. 1482, 2089, 5044; that “priests” denote goods, n. 1728, 2015, 3670, 6148; and that “prophets” denote doctrines derived from these things and concerning them, n. 2534, 7269) The kingly office of the Lord is also signified by His name “Christ,” “Anointed,” “Messiah”; and His priestly office by His name “Jesus,” for “Jesus” means “Savior” or “Salvation,” concerning which it is thus written in Matthew:

The angel appeared unto Joseph in a dream, and said, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

As this belonged to the priest’s office, therefore the like was represented by the office of the high priest who made expiation for the people for sins (Leviticus 4:26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 1 5:18; 9:7; 15:15, 30).

[10] Seeing that evil cannot possibly be joined to good, because they have aversion for each other, therefore purifications of various kinds were commanded for Aaron and his sons when they ministered in the priest’s office, whether at the altar, or in the Tent of meeting; and it was also commanded that the high priest was not to marry any but a virgin; not a widow, nor one divorced, nor a harlot (Leviticus 21:13-15); that those of the sons of Aaron who were unclean “if they should eat of the sanctified things, were to be cut off” (Leviticus 22:2-9); that “no one of the seed of Aaron in whom was a blemish should offer bread” (Leviticus 21:17-21); that “the high priest was not to shave his head, to rend his garments, to defile himself with any dead body, not even of his father and his mother, and that he was not to go out of the sanctuary” (Leviticus 21:10-12). As before said, these and many other laws were enacted for the reason that the high priest represented the Lord as to Divine good; and good is of such a nature that evil cannot be joined to it, for good shuns evil, and evil dreads good as hell dreads heaven; and therefore no conjunction of them is possible.

[11] But as for truth, it is of such a character that falsity can be joined to it; yet not the falsity in which there is evil; but that in which there is good, such as there is with little children, and with boys and girls while they are as yet in innocence, and with well-disposed Gentiles who are in ignorance; and such as there is with all who are in the literal sense of the Word, and who remain in the doctrine thence derived, and who nevertheless have the good of life as their end; for this good, as the end, drives away all the malevolence of falsity, and by applying itself forms the falsity into a certain likeness of truth.

2343. And they did eat. That this signifies appropriation, is evident from the signification of “eating,” which is to be communicated and conjoined, thus to be appropriated (see above, n. 2187). From what has been already said and unfolded it can be seen how the things contained in the preceding verse, and in this, are circumstanced in the internal sense, and how in that sense they cohere together; from the fact that by the “angels” is signified the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding; by “turning aside to him,” having an abode; by “coming to his house,” being confirmed in good; by “making a feast,” dwelling together; by “baking unleavened bread,” being purified; and by “eating,” being appropriated. From this it is evident what is the series and connection of things in the internal sense, although nothing whatever of it appears in the historical sense.

[2] Such is the order and series in all of the things of the Word, both in general and particular. But the series itself such as it is in itself cannot be made to appear in an explication of the several words, for in that case everything appears in a disconnected form, and the continuity of the sense is dissipated. But when all things are viewed together in one idea, or are perceived in one mental view, as is the case with those who are in the internal sense and at the same time in heavenly light from the Lord, there is then presented to view in these words the entire process of the reformation and regeneration of those who are becoming men of the church (who are here represented by Lot), to wit, that at first they perceive something of temptation, but when they persist and overcome, the Lord has an abode with them, and confirms them in good, introduces them unto Himself in His kingdom, and dwells with them, and there purifies and perfects them, and at the same time appropriates good and happy things to them, and this by means of His Divine Human and Holy proceeding.

[3] That all regeneration or new life, thus salvation, is from the Lord alone, is indeed known in the church, but is believed by few, for the reason that men are not in the good of charity. It is as impossible for those who are not in the good of charity to have this belief, as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle; for the good of charity is the very ground for the seeds of faith. Truth and good agree, but truth and evil never: they are of a contrary nature, and are averse one to the other. For this reason, so far as a man is in good, so far he can be in truth; or so far as he is in charity, so far he can be in faith; especially in this chief point of faith, that all salvation is from the Lord.

[4] That this is the chief point of faith, is evident from many passages in the Word, as in John:

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Again:

He that believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).

Again:

This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom the Father hath sent (John 6:29).

Again:

This is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth in Him, should have eternal life; and I will raise Him up at the last day (John 6:40).

Again:

Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24).

Again:

I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die (John 11:25-26).

[5] That no one can believe in the Lord unless he is in good, that is, that no one can have faith unless he is in charity, is also evident in John:

As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become children of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).

And again:

I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing. If one abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. As the Father hath loved Me, I also have loved you; abide ye in My love. This is My commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you (John 15:5-6, 9, (John 15:9)12).

[6] From these passages it can be seen that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor are the life of faith. But that they who are in evil, that is, in a life of evil, cannot possibly believe that all salvation is from the Lord, has been made evident to me from those who had come into the other life from the Christian world; and also from those who in the life of the body had confessed with the mouth and had even taught, according to the doctrinal tenet of faith, that without the Lord there is no salvation, and yet had led a life of evil. These, when the Lord was merely named, forthwith filled the sphere with endless difficulties (for in the other life that which spirits merely think is perceived, and diffuses from itself a sphere, in which it becomes manifest in what kind of faith they are; see n. 1394).

[7] Among the same, when love or charity was merely mentioned, there was perceived from them something as it were full of darkness and at the same time clotted from a kind of filthy love; which thing was of such a nature as to extinguish, suffocate, and pervert all perception of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor. Such is the faith at this day, which they say saves without the good of charity.

[8] The same also on being asked what faith they had (since they had not that which they had professed in the life of the body) said (for in the other life no one can conceal what he thinks) that they believed in God the Creator of the universe. But when they were examined in order to see whether it was so, it was found that they did not believe in any God, but thought that all things are of nature, and that all things that have been said about eternal life are empty and worthless. Such is the faith of all those within the Church who do not believe in the Lord, but say that they believe in God the Creator of the universe. For truth can flow in from no other source than the Lord; nor can truth be inseminated in anything except the good which is from the Lord.

[9] That it is the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding by means of which and from which come life and salvation, is very well known from the words of the Holy Supper: “This is My Body;” “this is My Blood;” which is the Lord’s Divine Human; and it is evident that all the Holy is from this. Whether you say His Divine Human, or His Body, or His Flesh, or the Bread, or the Divine Love, it is the same; for the Lord’s Divine Human is pure Love, and the Holy is of love alone, and from this is derived the Holy of faith.